


1-800-Heart-Zen

by Kaiielle



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, I don't even know anymore, This is just pure angst, angsty mc, angsty seven, angsty zen, but mc does have feelings for seven, choo choo all aboard the angst train, it's just so easy to write angst for seven's route, not a love triangle but an unrequited love, this focuses a lot on zen and mc's friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 15:39:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8452063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiielle/pseuds/Kaiielle
Summary: He'd told her once to call 'heart-zen' if something ever happened, or if she was feeling lonely.He never expected her to actually call him.(After the last Visual Novel of Day 8)





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had to reupload this because there were a lot of errors in the other version. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

"I'm going to come in while you're sleeping, so meanwhile... sort out your emotions." His amber eyes flash with different conflicting emotions, and he turns around to head towards the door.

She reaches out a hand out to stop him, mouth ready to say something - _anything_ to stop him, but he's already opened the door. It slams behind him with a loud bang, making you jump in surprise and causing a framed picture on the wall to teeter to the side. She stares in shock at the closed door, willing it to open again, maybe have his head poking around the corner with an apologetic smile on his face... but it doesn't. She sits down on a chair, defeated, as she tries to do what Seven told her... to sort out her emotions. 

Of course... this is when the pain starts to settle in.

_You're free to think what you want... but don't care about me. Even if you try to get involved with me, I will refuse everything. You'll only end up getting hurt. I'm going to work. Don't bother me._

_I told you not to bother me! I don't care about your feelings, alright? Seriously... stop it. Stop wasting all your emotions on me. I don't deserve it. Don't look at me like that!_

She squeezes her eyes shut, a small whimper coming from her mouth. _He doesn't mean it,_ she thinks, biting her lower lip. _Stop feeling so hurt! This is just blowback from V's unexpected, stupidly-phrased request. You're trying your best and that should account for something. He's not mad at you, he's mad at the situation he's in._ She nods to herself slowly, repeating the thoughts over and over again until they are a mantra in her head, a monotonous chant that relieves her of pain and makes her heart feel better.

Until it doesn't work anymore.

She needs air, she needs air to breathe and the apartment is suffocating her and she _hurts_ , and she just wants out of the apartment and-

"Where are you going?"

She hasn't realized that she actually ran for the door until his voice, sharp and unflinching, reaches her ears. "Out." She curses herself for sounding like she's about to break into a million pieces, curses herself even _more_ when she sees the slight look of concern and guilt on his face. 

"I can see that," Seven says curtly, nodding at her. He turns away, obviously still sulking. "But where are you _going_? It's late." 

"To sort out my emotions," she says firmly, and passes him in the hall, heading for the elevator. Luckily, the elevator is already stopped at her floor, so there's no awkward tension while they wait for her leave. Before the elevator doors close, however, she can't help but wish that he would follow her. 

He doesn't.

(*) 

Zen sighs as he stares up at the ceiling, the remnants of V and Seven's argument still on the screen. "God..." he says under his breath, twiddling his thumbs. He didn't want to get in the middle of the two ( _three_ , if you counted the RFA's newest member), even more so because he trusted both of them to a fault... but he couldn't help but hope that this was all just a simple misunderstanding. So Zen decides to wait until he has 'back-up' in the chat (oh, he hopes Jaehee's online later) before he actually verbalizes any of his thoughts. 

Zen turns to his side, sighing heavily. He's normally a nocturnal being, as he uses this time to rehearse, to go over lines, or read his scripts. But tonight is different; thus, the reason why he's lying down in bed instead of readying himself for his next audition. _Why?_ The answer comes to him easily - the image of a cute, fair-skinned brunette, smiling innocently for the camera. He sighs. "I'm worried about her."

He is usually not one to meddle with others affairs, but ever since she had joined the RFA, he couldn't help but realize that he was drawn to her. Zen found himself constantly looking out for her, warning her about Jumin and all men in general, telling her _constantly_ to call him if she ever needed anything, or was feeling anxious, or calling her at weird times during the day to find some way to entertain her and give her advice... Zen groans loudly and buries his face into a pillow. "Shit."

It's stupid of him to act on any of his protective feelings towards her now. She's obviously very taken by Seven, and Seven seems head over heels in love with this new girl, despite him trying to keep his distance from her. Zen knows that Seven's just trying to protect her - hell, he probably would have done the same if he were in Seven's shoes at the moment. But still, Zen can't help but feel a little bitter. Why does she still trust Seven, despite all his attempts to brush her aside? Why does she stick with such a dangerous man? Why doesn't she just run out the door screaming? 

Before he can answer those questions, he feels his phone vibrate, and he raises an eyebrow. No one ever calls him this late... except for Yoosung. Yes, Yoosung may or may not have dialed Zen's number by accident during a LOLOL raid, or whatever he calls it. Still, Zen picks up his phone to check the screen... and nearly drops it on his face when he sees that _she_ is calling him.

Zen fumbles with his phone before he correctly presses the correct button on the screen, sighing with relief when he realizes that he's made it in time. Sure, he's told her probably a hundred times by this point that if she ever needs someone to talk to, then he would be here. He hadn't expected her to actually _call_ him, though. "Ah - babe! You're still up." He blushes, embarrassed at his slip of the tongue. "Well, I mean, maybe I shouldn't be calling you babe, especially since you, ah, have feelings for Seven, I think but..." Zen stops talking as he hears something else on the other line, a sound he isn't accustomed to hearing whenever he calls his new friend. _Sniffling_. "Shit. Uhm... are you... are you crying?"

Her response is a rushed exhale of breath, and a few more seconds of sniffling. Zen feels a bit of anger spark from inside his chest. "What happened? Did Seven - Did he do anything to..."

"It's nothing like that." Her voice wavers a bit, and Zen suppresses the urge to snap his phone in two. "Zen... Seven did nothing wrong."

"But you're crying," he points out, sitting up in bed. He places a fist underneath his chin, wondering how to make this right. "Where are you?" She's silent, and Zen mutters a curse underneath his breath. "Damn it... answer me. I'm worried." 

"I'm... looking for something to eat." She sighs heavily. "I feel like such a loser. Sniffling into the phone while searching refrigerators for cookie dough ice cream isn't exactly a good image for yourself." 

"Should you really be out of the apartment, now? Seven's concerned about your safety and-"

"Seven needs space." The three words sound like she's trying to force herself to say them, and Zen barely fights back a growl from his throat. "Zen, I mean it. I'm just feeling... out of it. Exhausted. Tired." 

"Why?" The question is left hanging in the air between them, and Zen struggles to stay calm as she fishes for an answer. "What is he doing to you that's hurting you? Tell me."

"He's not letting me in, okay? I'm trying to chip at his walls and he's just not - he's not letting me in!" Her sharp outburst has obviously earned her an audience, as he hears her murmur apologies to other people. Her apologies give Zen time to process what she's just said. "I'm sorry, Zen it's - ugh, I'm just going to pay for this, hold on." He's given another few moments of silence as he hears her reach talk idly to the concerned cashier, and suddenly she's back on. "I'm s-"

"Don't say you're sorry." Zen's sitting straight up in his bed, his lips pursed. "Just... just talk to me. I'll listen." The background sound is mere white noise; he hears automatic doors opening, the sound of cars speeding by... but he only concentrates on her. He hears the slight hitches in her breathing, the sniffles that, thankfully, are starting to die down. "You can tell me anything."

She finally speaks, her voice sounding tiny and afraid. "I... don't know what hurts more, Zen... The fact that I don't know what to say to him, or the fact that he's not letting me say... _anything_ ," she says softly, voice broken... and Zen breaks alongside with her. 

He feels his heart shatter into a million pieces, feels these pieces puncture his lungs and leave him breathless. How can Seven be so cruel? How can he be so callous, so uncaring, so indifferent? Surely Seven knows what he's doing to her, surely he has _some_ kind of remorse for his actions. "I'm gonna-"

"He needs time." She interrupts his tirade, sounding firm. "Zen, it's just..." He hears her sigh heavily, and he can just imagine her, leaning against a wall, her fingers massaging her forehead and soothing out the wrinkles. "Look, I... I can't tell you much, because I promised that I'd keep it a secret, but... I understand him." Zen listens as her voice changes - from broken and unsure, she becomes firm and confident, warm and understanding. "I won't pretend to begin to fully know what he's going though, but I... I made a promise to myself that I'd be there for him." She steadies her breath. "It might take me a while but... he needs someone who understands and c-cares for him so much that she's willing to wait a long time to chip through his walls and suffer a few cuts along the way. I can be that person for him, Zen, I know it." 

_She's so strong._ Zen feels a rush of emotion towards her, a sense of affection and protectiveness mixed in with admiration... and he knows in this moment that there's no way he could ever match up to Seven in her eyes. She's willing to do everything for the young hacker, willing to suffer a sharp tongue and a callous attitude, and Zen can't help but smile bitterly. "He's very lucky to have met someone like you." 

He can't see her face, but he hopes and prays that she's smiling, even just a little. "Thank you, Zen." Before he can answer, she rushes through another sentence that he nearly misses. "Thank you for listening to me. I really appreciate it." 

"Oh, you..." Zen chuckles. "It's no problem for the lovely Zen," he can't help but add. "I will forever be a knight in shining armor, a protector of young women in peril." He finally hears a small giggle on the other side of the line, and he smiles. He listens to her as she hurriedly says good-bye, saying something along the lines of, 'I wouldn't want Seven to worry more than he is already'. "Hurry back to your prince charming, Snow White," he says softly, and bids her good-bye just before she hangs up.

He keeps the phone pressed to his ear, whispering something he says only when he's sure she's hung up. "Stay strong."

(*) 

Seven presses his back against the wall as she passes by, heading towards the apartment and looking more held-together than she had been before she left him earlier. _She just needed to talk to someone_ , Seven realizes with dismay. _And for the first time since I've known her, I couldn't be that person._

He'd followed her down the elevator immediately once he was sure she was gone. Half of his mindset had been on protecting her - what if Saeran or anyone else tried to grab her the minute she stepped out of the apartment? But the other half was telling him to follow her for personal reasons. To follow her so that she knew that he cared, that he wasn't completely shutting her out and he didn't even want to... But every time he attempted to step out of the shadows to make his presence known, he found himself unable to do it. 

He'd been holding himself together pretty well, knowing that he had to stay distant for her sake, but then he'd overheard her conversation with Zen and his heart just _cracked_. 

_He needs someone who understands and c-cares for him so much that she's willing to wait a long time to chip through his walls and suffer a few cuts along the way. I can be that person for him, Zen, I know it._

"I don't deserve you, I will never deserve you, and I can never have you..." he says underneath his breath, feeling a stinging sensation in the back of his eyes. "I'm complicated and icy and pessimistic and yet... yet you seem to think that _you_ deserve _me_." Seven sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

_Don't be stupid. Please. Let go of me and live. Run away from me and live. Forget about me and live. Find happiness with someone else and... live. Just live. And live happily without me._

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this //right// after I finished Day 8 and got into a sudden stump when the route was.... suddenly /not/ angsty. I'm in the middle of Special Ending 1 (no spoilers pls my babes) and ughhhh. I decided to finish this! 
> 
> Also for anyone interested, I'm personally in so much love with Jumin and Zen, but on Seven's route, I couldn't help but love the older-brother relationship that Zen and MC have. This was mainly the fuel for this fic in particular.


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